International journalists praise Tour of Türkiye as one of world’s top cycling events

Turkey

The 8-day race, which began in Antalya concludes Sunday with final stage from Cesme to Izmir.

International cycling journalists hailed the 60th Presidential Cycling Tour of Türkiye as a top-tier cycling event on the global stage.

Sander Kolsloot, editor-in-chief of Hetiskoers.nl, told Anadolu he has been following the Tour of Türkiye for years, but this is the first time he has been this close.

"It's exciting, and I think it’s a really good tour. You can see that from the level of riders now participating," he said.

Kolsloot said his favorite portion is Stage 4.

"It's definitely a better way to experience the race. I believe the Queen stage (Stage 4) takes place on Kiran Mountain."

Kolsloot stressed the Tour of Türkiye cannot be compared to the Tour de France or Flanders, but overall, fans “are very enthusiastic and excited. So that’s cool to see.”

"The level keeps getting better," he said.

8-day race to end May 4 in Aegean city of Izmir

Another cycling journalist, Jens Voegele, who works for the German media institution, Westsider, said as a cycling enthusiast he is impressed by the evolution of the race. The way it is covered, the level of the teams and their riders show real progress.

"The people are really enthusiastic about the race. So, it's a great experience to be here and to get the atmosphere of the race," said Voegele.

Italian journalist Filippo Lorenzon, who works for Bici.pro and bici.style, said he saw more people lining the sides of the road, more Turkish flags, and it was more exciting to watch the crowd in Türkiye and that was good.

Lorenzon said he enjoys Turkish breakfast. "I'm loving the beautiful smells and flavors here. Tomorrow morning, I'm looking forward to a very typical Turkish breakfast -- it's going to be amazing!" he said.

Alejandro Adrian Lingenti from Spain's Ciclosfera said it was his second time covering the Tour of Türkiye.

“People are warm, the atmosphere is great, and the race itself is incredible,” he said. "It's a wonderful country for me. It’s also quite exotic, being from Spain—it’s completely different.”

Cyclists have been racing 1,153 kilometers (716 miles) in eight stages that began last Sunday in Antalya, riding through renowned tourism hotspots such as Kemer, Kalkan, Fethiye, Marmaris, Akyaka, Aydin, Kusadasi, Selcuk and Cesme before reaching the finish line on May 4 in the Aegean city of Izmir.